GCE
Religious Studies
Advanced Subsidiary GCE
Unit G571: Philosophy of Religion
Mark Scheme for January 2011
Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations
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commenced.
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demonstrated.
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on the Examination.
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G571
Mark Scheme
January 2011
AS Preamble and Instructions to Examiners
The purpose of a marking scheme is to ‘… enable examiners to mark in a standardised manner’
[CoP 1999 25.xiv]. It must ‘allow credit to be allocated for what candidates know, understand
and can do’ [xv] and be ‘clear and designed to be easily and consistently applied’ [x].
The Religious Studies Subject Criteria [1999] define ‘what candidates know, understand and
can do’ in terms of two Assessment Objectives, weighted for the OCR Religious Studies
specification as indicated:
All candidates must be required to meet the following assessment objectives.
Knowledge, understanding and skills are closely linked. Specifications should require that
candidates demonstrate the following assessment objectives in the context of the content
and skills prescribed.
AO1:
AO2:
Select and demonstrate clearly relevant knowledge and understanding through
the use of evidence, examples and correct language and terminology appropriate
to the course of study.
Sustain a critical line of argument and justify a point of view.
The requirement to assess candidates’ quality of written communication will be met
through both assessment objectives.
In order to ensure the marking scheme can be ‘easily and consistently applied’, and to ‘enable
examiners to mark in a standardised manner’, it defines Levels of Response by which
candidates’ answers are assessed. This ensures that comparable standards are applied across
the various units as well as within the team of examiners marking a particular unit. Levels of
Response are defined according to the two Assessment Objectives; in Advanced Subsidiary, the
questions are in two parts, each addressing a single topic and targeted explicitly at one of the
Objectives.
Positive awarding: it is a fundamental principle of OCR’s assessment in Religious Studies at
Advanced Subsidiary/Advanced GCE that candidates are rewarded for what they ‘know,
understand and can do’ and to this end examiners are required to assess every answer by the
Levels according to the extent to which it addresses a reasonable interpretation of the question.
In the marking scheme each question is provided with a brief outline of the likely content and/or
lines of argument of a ‘standard’ answer, but this is by no means prescriptive or exhaustive.
Examiners are required to have subject knowledge to a high level and the outlines do not
attempt to duplicate this.
Examiners must not attempt to reward answers according to the extent to which they match the
structure of the outline, or mention the points it contains. The specification is designed to allow
teachers to approach the content of modules in a variety of ways from any of a number of
perspectives, and candidates’ answers must be assessed in the light of this flexibility of
approach. It is quite possible for an excellent and valid answer to contain knowledge and
arguments which do not appear in the outline; each answer must be assessed on its own merits
according to the Levels of Response.
1
G571
Mark Scheme
January 2011
Practical application of the Marking Scheme
General administrative information and instructions are issued separately by OCR.
Apart from preliminary marking for standardisation purposes, which must be carried out in pencil,
the first marking of a script should be in red ink. There should be a clear indication on every
page that it has been read by the examiner, and the total mark for the question must be ringed
and written in the margin at the end of the script; at A2 the two sub-marks for the AOs must be
written here as well. Half-marks may not be used.
To avoid giving the impression of point-marking, ticks should not be used within an answer.
Examiners should not write detailed comments on scripts; the marks awarded make the
assigned Levels of Response completely explicit.
Key Skill of Communication: this is assessed at both Advanced Subsidiary and A2 as an
integral part of the marking scheme. The principle of positive awarding applies here as well:
candidates should be rewarded for good written communication, but marks may not be deducted
for inadequate written communication; the quality of communication is integral to the quality of
the answer in making its meaning clear. The Key Skill requirements in Communication at Level 3
include the following evidence requirements for documents about complex subjects, which can
act as a basis for assessing the Communications skills in an examination answer:



Select and use a form and style of writing that is appropriate to your purpose and
complex subject matter;
Organise relevant information clearly and coherently, using specialist vocabulary
when appropriate;
Ensure your text is legible and your spelling, grammar and punctuation are accurate,
so your meaning is clear.
Levels of Response: the descriptions are cumulative, ie a description at one level builds on or
improves the descriptions at lower levels. Not all the qualities listed in a level must be
demonstrated in an answer for it to fall in that level (some of the qualities are alternatives and
therefore mutually exclusive). There is no expectation that an answer will receive marks in the
same level for the two AOs.
2
G571
Mark Scheme
January 2011
AS LEVELS OF RESPONSE – G571-G579
Band
0
1
2
3
4
5
Mark
/25
0
1-5
AO1
Mark
/10
0
1-2
AO2
absent/no relevant material
absent/no argument
almost completely ignores the
very little argument or justification of
question
viewpoint
 little relevant material
 little or no successful analysis
 some concepts inaccurate
 views asserted with no
justification.
 shows little knowledge of
v lit arg
technical terms.
a.c.i.q
Communication: often unclear or disorganised; can be difficult to
understand; Spelling, punctuation and grammar may be inadequate
6-10
a basic attempt to address the
3-4
a basic attempt to sustain an
question
argument and justify a viewpoint
 knowledge limited and partially
 some analysis, but not successful
accurate
 views asserted with little
justification.
 limited understanding
b att
 selection often inappropriate
 might address the general topic
rather than the question directly
 limited use of technical terms.
b att
Communication: some clarity and organisation; easy to follow in parts;
spelling, punctuation and grammar may be inadequate
11-15 satisfactory attempt to address the
5-6
the argument is sustained and
question
justified
 some accurate knowledge
 some successful analysis which
may be implicit
 appropriate understanding
 views asserted but not fully
 some successful selection of
justified.
material
sust
/ just
 some accurate use of technical
terms.
sat att
Communication: some clarity and organisation; easy to follow in parts;
spelling, punctuation and grammar may be inadequate
16-20 a good attempt to address the
7-8
a good attempt to sustain an
question
argument
 accurate knowledge
 some effective use of evidence
 good understanding
 some successful and clear
analysis
 good selection of material
 considers more than one view
 technical terms mostly accurate.
point.
g att
g att
Communication: generally clear and organised; can be understood as a whole;
spelling, punctuation and grammar good
21-25 a very good/excellent attempt to
9-10
A very good/excellent attempt to
address the question showing
sustain an argument
understanding and engagement with
 comprehends the demands of the
the material
question
 very high level of ability to select
 uses a range of evidence
and deploy relevant information
 shows understanding and critical
 accurate use of technical terms.
analysis of different viewpoints
vg/e att
vg/e att
Communication: answer is well constructed and organised;
easily understood; spelling, punctuation and grammar very good
3
G571
1
Mark Scheme
(a)
January 2011
Explain what it means to say that ‘God is good’.
[25]
A01
Candidates may begin by describing the Judeo-Christian beliefs about the goodness
of God as found in the Hebrew Bible, particularly the description of creation: ‘...and
God saw that it was good.’
Those who have studied beyond the first chapters of the Bible may make use of the
teachings found in the Book of Job, the Song of Songs or several of the psalms.
Candidates will be aware that Jewish writers did not question the goodness of God in
their minds. Some may express the idea that they saw all of their own goodness and
ethical behaviour flowing from God.
Others may make use of their knowledge of what philosophers such as St. Thomas
Aquinas would have said about the word ‘good’ when it is applied to God; namely
that God cannot be ‘good’ in the sense that human beings can be as he is without
limit.
One example of this may be that while humanity may be considered good for
resisting evil, the same could not be said of a Divinity who is beyond temptation.
(b)
To what extent are things only good because God commands them?
[10]
A02
Candidates are likely to recognise the Euthyphro Dilemma in this question centred
on the question of where the goodness of God’s commands is located.
This may lead candidates to discuss the issues surrounding the Divine Command
Theory; asking if it is possible for God to command things which men could describe
as unjust or even evil. Was it right, for example, to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah?
Surely not everyone in the cities was a sinner?
However if anyone were to suggest that an action of God was wrong then (s)he
would have to address the question of where this awareness of right and wrong had
come from.
Arising from this would be questions about the possible limitation on the power of
God.
4
G571
2
Mark Scheme
(a)
January 2011
Explain why some creationists do not believe in the Big Bang theory.
[25]
A01
Candidates should be aware that there is no one group of people who may be
described as creationists, that they come with a variety of beliefs; from the literalists
who are often called ‘flat earthers’ to the ‘young earth’ creationists who hold that the
age of the earth is between 6000 and 10000 years.
Some may discuss the curious attempts of Bishop Ussher and Lightfoot to tie down a
particular date; namely nightfall preceding Sunday October 23rd, 4004 BC. Others
may explore the Omphalos argument, associated with Philip Gosse. He postulated
that the appearance of age was put into the world by God despite the earth actually
being young.
Finally, some may explain the most commonly accepted theory, among creationists,
that of Progressive Creationism, a form of Old Earth creationism. If candidates are
taking this approach to the question they may point out that a great deal of modern
science can be incorporated into this position, where the Big Bang may be seen as a
manifestation of the power of God. They may note that supporters of this view do not
hold with progressive evolution; instead they argue that God created ‘kinds’ of
organisms in the order seen in the fossil record and that newer ‘kinds’ were specially
created, not mutated from earlier forms.
Candidates may explain the Big Bang by exploring the idea that before this event
there was nothing, no time and no space. The theory holds that the universe sprang
into existence from a singularity somewhere between 12 and 15 billion years ago.
(b)
‘Scientists are the only ones who can explain why the universe is here.’
Discuss.
[10]
A02
Candidates’ responses to this question will depend a great deal on how they have
answered part (a). If they have chosen to take a creationist stance to the questions
they may challenge the basis for this statement and critique the very idea that a
scientific explanation of the universe is sufficient.
Others may take the view held by Professor Peter Atkins and others that finding God
in the Big Bang is the last refuge of the desperate; in which case they may put
forward arguments in support of the statement.
Some may suggest that given the limitations of human knowledge, both scientific
and religious, that neither position can be held to have sovereignty over the other.
5
G571
3
Mark Scheme
(a)
January 2011
Explain the nature of the problem of evil.
[25]
A01
Candidates are likely to begin their responses with some form of the inconsistent
triad as expressed in philosophers such as Epicurus or David Hume. They may
focus on God not being all-loving, not being all-powerful or both in their explanations
of the triad. It should be clear from their answers that this issue is only a problem for
certain descriptions of God. Aristotle’s God, for example, would be quite indifferent to
human suffering.
Some candidates may split the nature of this problem into two different approaches.
Firstly, moral evil, evil which flows from human choices which raises the question as
to why God permits human beings to behave as they do; and secondly, natural evil,
which is evil which comes from sources other than humanity such as viruses,
earthquakes or the not so friendly bacteria.
While some may attempt to address the nature of this problem through the
theodicies, it is important that they explore the issue of the nature of the problem and
not just write all they know about Augustine’s or Irenaeus’ attempts to justify its
existence.
(b)
‘Moral evil may be the fault of humanity but natural evil is God’s fault.’
Discuss.
[10]
A02
Some candidates may make an issue of the distinction in the statement that
responsibility for the existence of moral evil is at best ambiguous but the evil in the
natural world must be the responsibility of God. Many however are likely to focus
simply on the question as to whether or not it is right to look for someone or some
divinity to blame for any of the many sufferings which are brought about by either
nature or man’s inhumanity to man.
Some candidates may address the issue of the extent to which, on some
interpretations of the Fall, natural evil is something for which human beings
generically bear responsibility.
Some candidates may apply their knowledge of the theodicies to explore different
ways of responding to this statement. It is important, however, that they apply their
knowledge and not just use this as an opportunity to produce an AO1 response to
the discussion.
No one particular conclusion is expected from candidates, rather they should be
demonstrating an ability to apply knowledge in a critical, evaluative manner to the
specific statement.
6
G571
4
Mark Scheme
(a)
January 2011
Explain what Kant means by ‘Summum Bonum’.
[25]
A01
Candidates may use Kant’s discussion of Hypothetical and Categorical Imperatives
as a way into a response to this question. It is important however that they do not
just write all they know about the Imperatives.
Others may, recognising the importance of reason to Kant, begin by pointing to his
belief that rationally, perfect virtue ought to rewarded by perfect happiness. It is
therefore the combination of perfect happiness and perfect goodness which brings
about the Summum Bonum.
Credit may also be given to candidates who choose discuss the issue of whether or
not Kant is right to say that the Summum Bonum should be achievable as ‘ought’
implies ‘can’.
Others may discuss the question of whether the existence of the idea of a Summum
Bonum leads naturally to the conclusion that there should be a God to make sure it
happens.
(b)
‘The existence of morality is not evidence for the existence of God.’ Discuss.
[10]
A02
Candidates could take a number of routes to responding to this question. They could
for example attack the statement and say that there is no real evidence of morality
as such; merely social conventions for getting along with each other and therefore
one cannot postulate the existence of a God this way.
Some may say that while morality does exist and is part of human nature there is
indeed no reason for suggesting there is therefore a God, merely an evolutionary
response to protect the species, for example.
Others may argue that morality does indeed come from an innate sense of duty and
that the only way human beings could have that sense is if some higher power
placed it there at their creation.
7
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